Would people stop coming to Florida?

[sunshine]

After two major hurricance Frances and Charley ripped thru Florida, do u think people will start come here for vacation? Would it also affect the rate of population growth? Would it affects the furture of skyscrapers being built here in Florida?

[Spartan]

Nah. It will just make insurance rates go up, and costs of housing in general.

[BigCityAttitude]

No, people won't stop. They are willing to risk for life in 'paradise'. At least, that's what I think. Not like I've interviewed anybody. But like Spartan said, insurance rates will go up, but I'm not so sure about the housing bit. Maybe with all these new disaster protection things, but other than that...

[josita]

heck no...Florida is beautiful. I agree that it's the insurance rates that will rise -- the homes will be rebuilt and people will still flock to sunny Florida.

The hurricanes might curtail tourism for awhile, but how can people stop coming to Mickey Mouse land??!!???

[Brickell]

If and when Ivan hits, I think that will be the last straw for some people. I think some residents will pack up and leave and tourism will definitely take a hit for a little while. Florida is a sort of dream to a lot of people. Hurricanes have killed that dream, that vision, before. I hope it doesn't happen again, but it very well could.

But this is Florida after all. People will come when it's 30 below up north and we're frolicking on the beaches. It may take a year, maybe two or three, but they'll be back. They always do.

[bobliocatt]

None of the past earthquakes in California or the active hurricane seasons of the past have stopped people from moving to these states. So I'd have to say no.

[danwxman]

Personally, I don't see any desire in living in Florida. I did see a report on the news tonight about one family in West Palm who has had enough and has decided to move out of the state.

[monsoon]

[bobliocatt]

Personally, I don't see any desire in living in Florida. I did see a report on the news tonight about one family in West Palm who has had enough and has decided to move out of the state.

I don't have any desire to move out of Florida. Its got everything I could ask for....history, growth, beaches, warm weather, and most importantly most of my family lives here.

BTW, Jacksonville hasn't been hit directly by a hurricane since the 1960's and before that, it was in the 1800's. Because of its unique location, Northeastern cities, like Boston, have a greater chance of getting hit by a hurricane.

[Cotuit]

I'm kinda with monsoon here. I've never really had any desire to go to Florida in the first place, aside from maybe the keys.

You really can't underestimate the impact that these two (perhaps soon 3) storms have had and will have on the state. The insurance is going to be huge. Even people who want to rebuild may be priced out by insurance. There's really nothing preventing a winter resident from collecting their insurance money and hightailing it to Arizona or someplace. Also people whose homes weren't destroyed will see their premiums rise, possibly pricing them out of the state.

I've known a number of people who left South Florida after Andrew. One woman I knew had such fear after Andrew that she moved to Idaho to be as far from and as different a place from South Florida as possible. The emotional scars for a lot of people will be huge.

The few areas of the state that weren't directly effected by Charley and Frances are already feeling an economic hit from tourists hearing about devasation in other parts of the state, and staying away from the entire state.

[wolfdawg54]

Hurricanes have existed for a long time. If people have not stopped visiting by now, they will never stop. Living in Florida is not for the faint of heart.

[Cotuit]

Living in Florida is not for the faint of heart.

Well if all the retirees realize that... what with their faint hearts and all...

[Brickell]

I think the Florida dream is probably one for the older generation. I definitely dont' see it in the younger set now a days. But to talk to some of the older generation that have retired already, they've dreamed of kicking back on the beach their whole lives. I guess we're a more mobile society now, we don't dream about the exotic anymore. Maybe Florida's image has changed over the years. This really is paradise to a lot of people. These hurricanes are putting a dent in that image, no doubt about it.

[monsoon]

[Urbanrailfan]

Saddam Hussein would say this is Florida's punishment for having one of the Bush brothers running the place.

Much like saying Texas got punished too.

Back on topic. Even if hurricanes continue to hit Florida, there are going to be more people (mostly ol folks) move to Florida. California is typically more young oriented paradise except that paradise is lost now due to LA being so spread out. Florida's paradise is aimed more at elderly folks who want to retire and move there. As to say, every other place is Sun City. The only city geared at the young is Orlando.

[Cotuit]

Saddam Hussein would say this is Florida's punishment for having one of the Bush brothers running the place.

Actually, I said that.

[Brickell]

Back on topic. Even if hurricanes continue to hit Florida, there are going to be more people (mostly ol folks) move to Florida. California is typically more young oriented paradise except that paradise is lost now due to LA being so spread out. Florida's paradise is aimed more at elderly folks who want to retire and move there. As to say, every other place is Sun City. The only city geared at the young is Orlando.

I'd reccomend travelling to florida before making such broad statements.

[bobliocatt]

^I'd second that recommendation. BTW, Jacksonville has a lower "average age per citizen" number than Orlando does. I also doubt places like Ybor City (Tampa), Las Olas (Fort Lauderdale), City Place (West Palm Beach), Five Points & San Marco (Jacksonville), and South Beach cater to old retirees from up north.

The high number of white collar office jobs relocating to the state also go against the idea of Florida's boom mostly consisting of old folks moving in from up north.

[sleepy]

I don't think the hurricanes will have a major impact on people moving to Florida, though they will obviously have some short term impact on the state's economy. As far as retirees moving there, I don't know about permanent movers, but every winter there are a large number of retired Minnesota/snowbirds who go down there for the winter, and I would imagine they play a fairly significant role in the economy. Most of them that I know of have the resources to either afford a second home or afford a $80,000 RV. In fact, where I teach, there are three faculty members who have (had?) condos in the Port Charlotte area which they use over winter and spring breaks.

[bigbuilding]

I grew up on cape cod, MA and my parents still live there. Recently they were told by their Insurance Company that they will not cover homes with a few miles of the Ocean. My parents house is about 2 miles from the ocean. Supposedly there is only 1 Insurance Company(I think it's affiliated with the State) that will cover these homes.

I completely understand insurance companies refusing to cover homes directly on the Ocean or a home adjacent to a river that always floods. But a home on Cape Cod(rarely any Hurricanes) that is 2 miles from the Ocean??

Anyway, I can see Insurance Companies in Florida refusing to cover homes.

[monsoon]

[Cotuit]

I grew up on cape cod, MA and my parents still live there. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Me too!

[passdoubt]

...no more than people will stop going to California because of the earthquakes, the Great Plains because of the tornados, New England and the Upper Midwest because of the blizzards, Arizona because of the dry heat, etc etc...

[PghUSA]

Florida has more going for it then just beautiful beaches and warm winters . . . NO STATE INCOME TAX and one of the most progressive tax laws in the country on sales and business. Add that to it being one of the "new economy" states, Florida will continue to prosper.

[Australian1]

NO! Florida wouldn't stop growing,

even New South Wales!